1999 Detroit Lions season
The 1999 season was the Detroit Lions' 70th in the National Football League (NFL). They finished the season with an 8–8 record, an improvement on their 5–11 record from the previous season, and qualified for the playoffs as the third-placed team in the NFC Central. It was their sixth playoff appearance of the decade, capping one of the most successful 10-year stretches in franchise history.
| 1999 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | William Clay Ford Sr. |
| General manager | Chuck Schmidt |
| Head coach | Bobby Ross |
| Home field | Pontiac Silverdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Redskins) 13–27 |
| Pro Bowlers | 5
|
| AP All-Pros | None |
| Uniform | |
In 2004, Football Outsiders' Mike Tanier named the 1999 Lions as one of the "worst playoff teams ever".
The Lions had just lost Barry Sanders to an abrupt retirement and started the season with second-year pro Charlie Batch at quarterback before he was lost to an injury and replaced by Gus Frerotte.
The team won six of their first eight games, including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams, which made the Lions a surprise contender at the midway point of the season; however, they managed only two more wins in the second half of the season and lost their final four games.